Continuous thread-processing machine



Jan. 12, 1937.

w. F. KNEBUSCH ET AL CONTINUOUS THREAD PROCESSING MACHINE' Filed July 10:. 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 12, 1937. l w. F. KNEBUSCH Er AL CONTINUOUS mmv PRocEssING MACHINE Filed July 1o, 1933 2 sheets-sheet 2 succeeding reel or the takeup device.

Patented Jan'. 12, i937 PATENT k orricr;V

`con'rnmops 'mman-rneccssmd- Mao - Walter F. ebnscli, Cleveland, and Foster Lakewood, Ohio, a

ssignors to Industrial Rayon Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Eelaware Application July Mi, 1983, lScritti No. 679,606

This invention relates to thread-processing apparatusprovlded withmechanism for automatically transferring the thread or the like.

In the manufacture of artiiicial silk thread, particularly by the viscose process, it is possible to subject the thread to the necessary operations 'by running the thread over a plurality of reels, acting as thread store devices, on each of which is performed some one operation, such as washing, desulphurizing, souring, drying, etc. As described inf'British Patent No. 413,413, the thread passes over a given reel in a form which may be considered helical, although it is not truly so. traveling from one end of the-reel to the other and being, in efect, stored thereon for a sufficient length of time to permit `the desired operation to take place. The vthread then descends to the next lower reel, placed thereunder, where it travels `across such second reel in the reverse direction while winding in the same direction, and so on for as many reels as may be employed. In a commercial machine, each row of reels handles one thread through all stages between the spin bath and the packaging device. Unit reels are preferably used, i. e., reels which carry only one threadbut it is also possible to employ reels which carry -a number of threads.

In machines utilizing a multiplicity of such reels, it is obviously necessary as a part yof the operation which puts themachine as a whole into operation to accomplish transfer of the thread from reel to reel and from the iinal'reel to the take-up device. In co-pending application Serial No. 679,640, led July 10,- 1933, there has been described a method and means for positively .and with certainty producing a free leading end when the thread reaches the discharge-end of a reel, as by breaking, tearing or otherwise severing the thread at a point back of the actual leading end thereof. freed from the reel in such manner that it can unwind therefrom and carry over to the next Such method is, however, a manual one and the mechanism described requires the attention of an opi --erator in order to effect each transfer. Conse- -quently, where a large number of threads are being run in a given plant. and these may number many thousands even in a plant of moderate size,

it will be seen that the labor, time and expense involved inv transferring each of these threads over a number of reels, which may be as many as nine, more or less, involves considerable expense in putting each machine into operation, as

The newly established leading vend .isv

. o' The present invention contemplates a method for producing a free leading end on each thread as it reaches the discharge end of each reel in` turn; automatically removing this free end from the reel surface, even though the latter is wet; andl causing such free end to contact with and wind onto the next reel or to collect in any desired form. Among other things, it is an object of the inventionto provide means vfor automati cally forming a new leading end and freeing such end from the reel. Another object ofthe in,- vention is to provide means for positively and automatically transferring the thread in such manner that the running of the thread is not interrupted. Still another object of the'invention is to provide a method of automatically forming a new' leading end and automatically removing such leading endffrom the reel. Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter. A

While the invention is adapted for use in connection with any process of mak'ihg articial'silk thread, such as the cuprammonium, cellulose nitrate, cellulose acetate and viscose processes, it is especially valuable and will be described in connection with the viscose process although no limitation is thereby implied. In fact, the meth.-

. od and apparatus of the invention may be used. wherever itis necessary to transfer a thread or thread-'dike article from one rotating surface to another,l especially if the thread or thread-like article to be transferred is wet and tends tocling to the surface from which it is to be removed. In the drawings, which illustrate one manner of carrying. outthe invention, Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a' portion of a spinning machine with the thread-forming mechanism in place; Fig. 2 is a section taken along the line 2-2 l lilil of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 isa vertical section, somewhat enlarged, throughtwo of the thread-removing mechanisms in operative position; and Fig. 4 is a section taken along the line 4 4, Fig. ,3.

'In the viscoseprocess, a thread is formed from 'the viscoseain' a setting bath and this thread,

made up of a number of fine filaments, is collected and subjectedto various treatments, as mentioned above, to purify it and leave a thread of regenerated cellulose which will'not deteriorate in use due to the actionof chemicals which might otherwise be left in the ber. Each of the stages or steps of the manufacturing process after the thread hasbeen formed in the spin bath may advantageously be conducted by running the thread over. a reel and spraying or Mmm-1M if. with a hath oi' the chemical or other liquid which it is desired to apply te the thread at that point in the process.

following reel and so on to the end. The reels are preferably positioned one below the other, either vertically orV offset, but it is also possible to run the thread horizontally from one reel to another. l

In a machine of this'kind involving a plurality o f spinningreels, the thread is, in effect, temporarily stored on the reels due to the fact that it remains on such reel for such length of time as is necessary to complete its travel across'the reel. for the purpose of giving each treating operation an opportunity to be completed with respect vto each thread. To place the machine in operation, the reels are started rotating and the thread being formed at the spinneret in the spin bath is taken up by hand and led from the spinneret.

through any necessary guides and is applied to the receiving end of the first reel. Succeeding helical turns of thread are now produced and progress toward the discharge end of,the reel where it is obviously necessary lthat the end of the thread be taken off, carried over, and applied to the receiving end of the second reel. The thread end must thus be transferred from reel to reel until it has been completely treated and formed into a finished thread and passed to a packaging device or the like.

According to the present invention, the carryover from the discharge end of one reel to the receiving end of the next reel is accomplished in the manne` hereinafter described:-

As the leading turns of threadv approach and reach the discharge end of the flrst reel, regardless of whether the actual leading end is washed under or bound beneath following turns, there is applied to the reel and to the threads thereon, at a point near the discharge end of the reel, any suitable rotatable device which has the effect of cutting, breaking, shearing or otherwise severing the thread back of the actual leading end to create a new free leading end not bound beneath following turns and which also has the effect of removing this freshly formed leading end from the reel surface, whether or not the latter is wet. The act of removing the thread from a given reel involves two steps; to wit, the formation of .a new free end and the removal of this free end to another or in any other feasible direction. InA

any case, it is necessary only to touch the thread end to the second reel, whereupon surface tension causes it to cling thereto and begin to wind thereon.

Various means may be employed to .perform the above described method, provided that such mea-ns .are rotatable at a fairly high rate of speed in order to create windage which will assist in removing the thread end from the reel. Such means may consist of a disk-like member having radially disposed elements capable of exerting the cutting, abrading, tearing or other severing action on the thread when applied against the reel,

The next. subsequent step mayA then be performed on thev the radial elements being preferably of a resilient materialor resiliently mounted in the disk-like member so as to reduce wear on the reel to whichI the device is applied. It is also desirable to mount the disk, which is equipped with driving means independent of the drive for the reel, in a resilient manner so that contact with the reel is reduced to a minimum or completely avoided when the transfer mechanism is not in use. Any such device may be used provided only that it is capable of rotation at a sulciently high speed to produce adequate windage to remove the -thread end formed by severance from the wet reel. By way of example, the method may be performed by means of a simple rotatable wire brush suitably mounted for rotation and held with its bristles contacting with the reel. One or more turns of thread will be severed by the bristles when the thread has traveled to the end of the reel where the brush is mounted and the windage from the rotating brush will blow the severed end away from the reel. Such means may be equipped, for example, with passages for the purpose of inducing a greater flow of air under the impelling action of the radial elements referred to or such adjuncts may be dispensed with,v as desired. 'Q

Referring to Figs. l and 2, the reels I, 2 and 3 are mounted in a frame, of which one of the uprights 4 is shown. Each horizontal row of reels is I surrounded by a housing 5 which confines the liquid showered on to the reel except in the oase of the upper row where the housing is left open at the top to permit the thread to be brought manually from the spin bath to the reel. A

guard 6 is provided to deflect spray from the front of the apparatus. 'Ihe treating Vmedium may be any one of the various solutions or washing media applied to the thread during the process of treatment and is distributed over the reel and thread by a perforated pipe I or by a trough or any other suitable device. 'I'he liquid is collected in a trough 8 at the bottom of the housing, being returned to the distributing device by means of a pump diagrammatically indicated at 9. 'I'he distributing system may assume various forms I and it is intended to indicate the same, for the purposes of the present invention, only in a more or less general way. Assuming the reel I to be the rst reel of a series, the thread II is brought from the spin bath (not shown) through the open top of the uppermost of the several casings 5 and is applied manually to the starting end of such reel. v A

All of the reels in the machine having previously been started rotating, the thread follows a helical path around reel I due to the construction of such reel. The reel preferably consists of two cages made up of bars I2 and bars I3 alternating therewith, each set of bars goingto make up one of the cages. The cages are both onset and canted with respect to each other and rotate eccentrioally about `the centers I 4 and I5. This results in relative movement of the bars I2l and I3, so that the thread is alternately carried vby one set of bars and then by the other set of bars. At the same time, due to the canted relation of the bars, the thread is advanced along the reel as it is alternately picked up and dropped by each setl of bars. 'I'his results vin the thread being wound on the reel in a single layer and spread out so as to be effectually treated by the liquid applied to the reel.

According to the present invention transfer of,

the thread from reel to` reel is accomplished by end regardless of any under-wind or under-wash of the thread. The high speed of rotation of the diskalso sets up windage which blows this free. end away from the reel.

The thread-severingv device I6 is mounted in a combination housing and bracket I8 which isinserted into an opening in the housing 6, being resiliently mountedftherein by means of `a gasket I9 made of rubber or other suitable material.

A clip 20 on the housing 5 vcooperates in'retaining the bracket in the-opening in the housing. The

` disk I'I is mounted on a spindle 2| and is driven by means of a belt 22 running over a pulley 23. 'Ihere will beone of these pulleys for each transfer mechanism, all mounted on a jack shaft 2l, there being a-jack shaft foreach'horizntal row of mechanisms. Each jack shaft is driven through a spiral gear 2i meshing with another gear 2j6 at right angles thereto and keyed to a shaft 21 driven by'a motor (not shown). This arrangement of the thread-removing devices is independent of the drive for the reels, which have their own pulleys 28 and 29 driven by belts 3i.

which'are operated by another motor. If desired, one motor may be used to drive both the reels and the transfer mechanisms' with a clutch for connecting and disconnecting the'transfermechanisms. v l

The bracket I8, which, together with the transfer mechanism, is removable as a unit from the housing, holds the disk I'Iresiliently against the surface of the reel ii with just enough contact so that the thread is cut or otherwise severed when it reaches the disk. Adjustment of the disk with relation to th'e surface of the reel may be had by means of the screw bolt'32 carrying a lug 33 bearing against the lower part of the bracket I8. The screw bolt lies below the housing 5, which is shown as'recessed to receive it, and is equipped with vnuts 35 bearing against bracket' 36,whereby pressure may be exerted against the lower part of the bracket I8 to swing the' same about clip 20 as a pivot, forcing the bracket against the lower part of the gasket I9 and thus bringing the disk II closer to the reel. Loosening the nuts will effect the opposite result.

In order to minimize wear of the-reel surface and'also of the transfer device when the latter is thus brought into contact with the reel, the` radial elements, which may be separate parts mounted. on the spindle '2i or which mayl be irregularities in the' surface of lthe disk itself, are either made of a material soft enough not to abrade or cut the outer surfaces ofthe reel bars while yet hard enough to sever the thread thereon or are resiliently mounted on thespindle2i so as to yield somewhat as they contact with the reel.' Such construction does not interfere with the removal of the thread but does minimize wear of the reel.

As mentioned above, the disks construction, are rotated rapidly in the samedirection as the reels, the surfaces of contact lmov- IlI, of whatever 4leave the surface of the reel vas indicated at 3'I.

Thev free end then billowsout as indicated by the intermediate position 38 until 'it contacts with the surface of the reel 2. It is quickly drawn straight as it commences winding on the. latter reel assuming the position 39. This completes the transfer of the thread Yfrom the first reel to the second. Openings i0 and 4I are provided in thecasing of the upper and lower reels, respectively, toV permit the thread to run from one reel to-another.

Once .the thread has been started winding on a subsequent reel, the transfer wheel cannot again cut it since the thread will not travel beyondthe point at which it runs off to the subsequent reel; on the other hand, if the thread should be broken between two reels, it would again be `free to travel across the first of such reels' until it reaches the transferl mechanism and is again severed and transferred.

The thread vnow travels helically across thel second reel, but in the opposite direction to that followed on the first reel, until it reaches the zone of contact of another disk ILKconstituting the thread-removing element of the transfer device provided for the latterreel. The action here is the same as in the preceding case and the thread is quickly and automatically removed and contacted with reel 3. This action continues in sequence until the thread is winding helically over each reel in turn and following a continuous path from the spin bath to the packaging device or other collecting location.' No further atten tion has .been requiredfrom the operator after he has once started the motor which drives the transfer mechanisms. When the thread is observed to be running onto thegpackaging device or to be otherwise collecting', the operator may shut off the motor until such time as it is again necessary to set the machine in operation. Since onelmotormay' drive a large number ofl jack shafts, each shaft carrying the thread-removing mechanisms for each of the nine stages, more or less, involved in treating one thread, it is apparent that very little attention is required in order toput algiven-machine in operation. Even this slight attention may be dispensed with yif the v,transfer mechanismsA are left running at ali'times,

though it will be understood that many other"- mechanisms may also be used for carrying out the method of the invention. In general'outline, the

mechanism includes a rotatable shaft and driving means therefor; the shaft carrying radially disposed blades which constitute the threadsevering elements of the device. These blades are intended to be rotated in the same direction as that of the spinning reel adjacent to which they aremounted, thus causing the blades to move in the opposite direction to the reel surface at the point of contact. These blades project aol between two disk-like plates, hereinafter called shrouds, one of which rotates with the shaft and the other of which is stationary, the purpose of the shrouds being to exclude thread ends from contact with moving parts of the mechanism and prevent consequent clogging of the mechanism by a collection of these thread ends. The shrouds also aid in directing a stream of air, set up by the rotation of the blades, against the thread end which' has been severed by these blades. The radially disposed blades are mounted on a ring of flexible material, such as rubber, secured around the shaft by appropriate annular members, such resilient mounting being for the purpose of causing the heads oi the blades to contact with the reel with a yielding action which severs the thread but does not cause severe wear vbetween'the two oppositely rotating surfaces.

' shaft by means of a nut 46 engaging with the threaded end of the spindle. A stationary shroud 41 is positioned back of the rotating shroud l.and has an annular rearwardlyextending portion 48 which surrounds the spindle for a portion of its length and has a threaded outer surface engaging with a threaded shoulder 49 on the bracket I8. The inner surface of the portion 48 surrounds and secures babbitt bearings 5| and felt oil retainers 52, in which the spindle 42 rotates.

The rotating shroud 45 and stationary shroud 41 are curved toward each other a't the periphery oi the disk to provide a narrow circumferential slot through which the radially disposed blades 63 project. The manner in which these blades are mounted is an important feature of the construction of the device. A ring 53 of some resilient material, suchas soft rubber, is positioned around thespindle 42, such ring being held within the space provided between an inner retaining cup 54 and an outer retaining cup 55. Both of these cups have flanges extending for a short distance radially along the blades to constitute a support for the latter at right angles to the axis of rotation for a portion of their length. The blades 63 are bent or formed at their inner ends to provide a right angle foot 56 adapted to rest on the ring 53, the blades being of such number and the feet of such width as to completely illl the inner circumference of the outer retaining cup 55 with approximately .002"to .003 clearance. The inner retaining cup 54 passes through the hole in the ring 53 and supports the ring against the blade feet. v

The effect of this resilient mounting of the blades is to permit a slight radial movement thereof toward the axis of the spindle and also a slight angular movement thereof along the periphery of the wheel. Upon encountering the surface of the reel, the blades tend to be pushed closer to the center ofthe wheel, duel to the combined radial and angular motionmade possible by the resilient mounting. This causes lthe wheel to yield somewhat as it contacts with the reel, thereby reducing wear while yet accomplishing effective severance of the thread on the reel. The

slight clearance between the feet of the blades allows freedom of motion for the angular movement of the blades as described. Adjustment of the decree -of ilexibility with which-the blades are displaced upon contact with the reel may be had by varying the size of the cavity provided between the retaining cups .54 and 55 for a given amount of rubber or by varying the amount of rubber which is disposed in a cavity of given size,v

thus altering the pressure under which the rubber is retained and, consequently, the rigidity of the material. By properproportioning of the amount of rubberwith respect to the size of the cavity, any desired degree of flexibility may be obtained.

'Ihe manner in which the outer ends of the blades are disposed is also important. 'Ihe outer ends are bent at right angles so as to form heads 51 which present cutting edges for the severance of the thread. A narrow slot'l is necessarily provided through which the bladesy 63 extend, this slot being located between the inwardly curved peripheries of the two shrouds. However, if no precautions were taken to prevent it, thread ends produced by the action of the wheel would pass through this slot and gradually build up around the rotating parts inside the mechanism so as to'eventually clog the wheel. For this reason, the heads 51, extending .parallel to the axis of the spindle 42, should overlie the inwardly curved edges of both shrouds in order to prevent thread ends from working into the center of the wheel. The wheel otherwise presents no parts which would tend to build up a mass of thread ends since the face of the rotating shroud 45 is practically flat and provides no exposed rotating surface on which a thread end can wind and cause trouble. The stationary shroud 41 presents no problem in this regard since it does not rotate and merely directs random ends of thread away from the blade slot between the two shrouds.

As the rotatable shroud 45 and the blades 63 lrotate at a high rate of speed in the same direction as the reel, causing the blades to move in the opposite direction to the surface of the reel at the point of contact, considerable windage is set up which acts to blow the free thread end, which has just been formed by the action of the blades against the surface of the reel, away from the surface ofsuch reel. Such windage may be found suicient to effect removal of the thread or it may be desired to increase this windage by providing air passages 58 through which air will be sucked by the impeller action of the blades and will pass between the two shrouds to be blown out through the blade slot at the periphery of the wheel. This provision increases the available windage and removes the thread more vigorously, if such is desired.

Since the .thread-removing mechanism must operate in the presence of the liquid which is being showered upon the reel, it is necessary to construct the device so that the corrosive action of any chemicals in the liquid will not cause a breakdown. This may be done in the case of the radial blades by making them of stainless steel when intended to be used in the presence of caustic reagents and of aluminum alloy for acid and all other baths. -Other resistant material may, of

course, be substituted. The same materials may be used for other exposed metallic surfaces, such as the rotating shroud, the retaining cups and the nut, all of which may be made of stainless' steel 'or aluminum alloy or'other resistant material.. Stationary shroud 41 may be made of bakelite or similar resin compound which ls resistant to corrosion but need not have the strength necessary in the material or the rotating parts. The assembly as a whole is screwed into the protective housing and bracket I8, as described', so that any members within the housing will be protected from the reagents and will not require resistant material. Thus, the spindle 42 may be made of' common steel and the drive pulley 43 of fiber; Likewise, the belt 22 may be made of rubber composition or other material suitable for its function without regard to its chemical-resisting properties, since the belt` is also fully protected in the bracket.

The action of this particular transfer wheel isl as hereinafter described.

The jack shaft 24 drives pulleys 23 over which runs a belt 22 which, in turn, drives the spindle 42 of the transfer wheel. This causes the rotatable shroud 45 and the radial blades 63 to ro# tate in opposition to the reel with which the mechanism contacts. As the heads 5l of the blades strike the surface of the reel, they sever the thread whichhas reached or nearly reached the end of the reel and the thread end snaps away from the reel and into the air stream from the wheel. As the blades contact with the reel, they are pushed back slightly by the frictionand are -thus angularly displaced so as to bring a lgiven head 5l nearer to the axis of the wheel as it slides by the reel and thus reduce wear on the contacting surfaces. This action is possible due to the resilient mounting 53 for the blades. At the same time, air will be drawn in through the pas es 58 and blown out between the shrouds t5 a d 41 so as to increase the windage available lfor r moving the thread. l

After the thread has been caused to wind over all of. the reels necessary in order that it may be properly treated and is being collected on a packaging device or otherwise,l the series ofA transfer mechanisms which have transferred the thread in turn from reel to reel are preferably stopped 1`f'from"rotating until another transfer is necessary. It might be expected that the wheels, permanently positioned adjacent the ,reels so as to sever the thread on such reels,

that the transfer wheels tend to come to ,rest' in sucha position that the lowermost point'of the adjacent spinning reel lies in the space between two blades rather than against any one blade. f

Viewing the invention as a whole, a machine wherein each thread end passes over a plurality of reels is put in operation by starting the various reels rotating and applying threads from the spin bath to each of the initial reels. The thread travels across each initial reel until it reaches the end of the reel, where any one of the transfer mechanisms mentioned, including that particularly described above, may be located. As the thread reaches the region in which the transf fer mechanism contacts with the reel, the severing elements of the Wheel sever the thread without any attention on the part of the operator andI the windage of -the wheel blows this thread away' device may be located so as to contact with any portion of the lower half of the surface of the reel and still effect a transfer. 'I'he windage of the wheel should be sufllcient both in quantity and velocity to blow this free end away from the moist surface of the reel.

After this free thread end becomes longr enough, it billows out and forms a loop which contacts with the surface of thenext lower reel l and is quickly drawn taut. The transfer of the thread is now complete. This action will take place automatically for each succeeding'reel until the `tl'iread is run olf to the place of collection. When this has been accomplished, the

machine has been placed in operation as far as the given thread end is concerned. At the same time, parallel reels will also be placed in operation and a multiplicity of threads will commence to run oi the last orjdry reel and be collected. One thread or many threads can then be set up on the reels, a single thread which has become broken being set up by turning on all` of the transfer wheels as a unit, since the previouslyv running threads do not reach their respective transfer wheels and are not severed thereby. The transfer mechanisms can be shut down when all of the threads are set up, by turning oil the motor which'drives them, but even the simple operations of turningv a motor on and off can be dispensed with and the reels left rotating if desired.

It is intended that the patent shall cover, by suitable expression in the appended claims, whatever features of patentable novelty reside inthe invention.

What is claimed is: i

1. A continuous thread-processing machine comprising a plurality of serially disposed threadadvancing thread store devices upon each of which the thread is subjected to treatment and, associated with said thread store devices, independentthread transfer means operating, in the event of an interruption in the continuity of the thread, to initiate automatic transfer of the new leading end from one thread store deviceto another thread store device.

2. A continuous thread-processing machine comprising a plurality of serially disposed threadadvancing thread store devices -uponl each of which the thread is subjected to treatmentand,

associated with said thread store devices, posi-y tively operatingthread transfer means adapted,

in the event`r of an interruption in the continuity `of the thread, to initiate automatic transfer of the new leading end from one thread store device to, another thread store device;

3. A continuous thread-processing machine comprising a plurality'of serially disposed threadadvancing thread store devices upon each of which the thread is subjected to treatment and,

associated with said thread store devices, rotary thread transfer means adapted,'in the event of van interruption in the continuity of the thread,

in generally superposed relation and, associated with said thread store devices, independent thread transfer means operating, in the Aevent of an interruption in the continuity of the thread, to pass a new leading end automatically from an upper thread store device to a lower thread store device.

5. A continuous thread-processing machine comprising a plurality of spaced thread store devices arranged in such manner with respect to eachother that adjacent thread store devices are in generally superposed relation and, lassociated with said .thread kstore devices, positively operating thread transfer means adapted, in the event of an interruption in the continuity of the thread, to pass' a new leading end automatically from an upper thread store device lto' a lower thread store device.

6. n continuous thread-processing machine comprising a plurality -ofA spaced thread store devices arranged in such manner with respect to each other that adjacent thread store devices are in generally superposed relation and, associated with said thread store devices, rotary thread transfer means adapted, in the event of an interruption in the continuity of the thread, to pass a new leading end from the surface of an upper thread store device to the surface of a lower thread store device.

'7. AV continuous thread-processing machine comprising a' plurality of generallyV cylindrical thread-advancing thread store devices disposed in spaced, vertically stacked relation, and, associated with said thread store devices, independent thread transfer means operating, in the event of an interruption in the continuity of the thread, to initiate automatic transfer of the new leading end from an upper thread store device to the next lower thread store device. l

8. A continuous thread-processing machine comprising a plurality of generally cylindrical thread-advancing thread store devices disposed in spaced, vertically stacked relation and, associated with said thread store devices, positively operating thread transfer means adapted, in the event of an interruption in the continuity of the thread,

to initiate automatic transfer of the new leading end from an upper thread store device to the next 

